RE: MICHIGAN TECH 2017 OFF-SEASON - We're Adding to the Trophy Case & Keeping Pearson
Since I picked the title for this thread I suppose I better chime in at some point. It is breakfast time what shall I eat? Should I go with a healthy serving of crow or just scrape all the egg off my face and scramble that up?
As many of you did, I sat up last night reading this message board (and several others) as the posts, Tweets and articles poured in, each one poking another hole in the dam of Tech’s coaching staff until eventually it collapsed completely and I resigned myself to the fact that the Pearson era at Tech was all but over. There were a lot of things I wanted to post and write last night, but the wisdom of age got the better of me and I thought I would just sleep on it first. Now we sit awaiting the unavoidable official news that Tech fans have been dreading for the last month or so.
I will be the first to admit that I was wrong with my assessment of the situation. I though Tech had found their next legendary coach. And while he was not likely to surpass MacInnis he certainly could have been a 1A type figure in the storied history of Michigan Tech hockey. Here was a coach who had waited and waited for his shot at Michigan and never got it. Then along came Tech, his alma mater, and gave him that opportunity. In spite of a few early stumbles, most would say his time at Tech was a success. Pearson seemed happy in Houghton and outwardly he conveyed a lot of pride in what he was doing. I don’t think anyone who has been to both cities would argue that the quality of life in Houghton far surpasses that of Ann Arbor. I felt that cruising towards retirement, building a winner out of his alma mater with great institutional support would be a huge draw.
I was convinced that Coach would stay and finish out his coaching years behind the Tech bench, hopefully continuing to grow the status of the program each year, even if that never ultimately led to a national title. In Houghton, Coach Pearson could have built his own legacy with no one’s shadow over him. He could have likely remained another 10+ years having done nothing more than putting up winning records with a sprinkling of titles and NCAA tourney appearances. Tech hockey was at rock bottom before he arrived, only a fool would have pushed him out the door any time in the near future. He had quenched a thirst for winning that was 30+ years in the making. After that drought, who really cared if the water was just drawn out of the Portage Canal and not the champaign of a champion? A simple winning record tasted mighty sweet on such parched lips.
Now at Michigan, he’ll forever be in Red’s shadow, trying to be the guy who followed a legend. If he can’t bring a winning program to the ice year after year and win a title every 4-5 seasons, he’ll be seen as a failure and the fans will be calling for his job before his first class of recruits graduates. If he does happen to win, people won’t give him due credit for his success because “It’s Michigan… they’re a ‘top program…’ anyone could have won there…”
In the last 24 hours, my opinion of Coach Pearson unfortunately has changed significantly. Here was someone who in his youth had worn the silver, black and gold for Tech, stood behind the bench for two different stints as a professional and had taken Huskies hockey from nothing and rebuilt it into a top-20 program. Had Coach Pearson gone to any other program, stayed for a few years and then returned to Michigan, I don’t think I would have even blinked. It has happened many times before and it will happen again. I get the desire to always move on to something that is perceived to be better. However when you kick your alma mater in the teeth and step on your school to raise yourself up, that leaves a very bitter taste behind, far worse than that of eating crow. A taste that will not easily be washed away or forgotten.
If someone wants to take pity on me, feel free to start a new off-season thread for the Huskies. "TECH 2017 OFF-SEASON - We're Adding to the Trophy Case and Replacing Peason" has a nice ring to it. Or I can face Internet justice and reap what I have sewn, having to reread the title of this thread for the rest of the summer, or at least the next 500+ posts. In closing, this is hockey and as they say… “Next man up”. If nothing else, the GLI just got a whole lot more interesting.
Mel who? Go Huskies! Go Tech!
Ryan J
